Fomentation heater and wringer



FOMENTATION HEATER ND WRINGER Filed June l5, 1955 y 2-SheetS-Sheeb l WALTER MORTEN TSW BY l ATTORNEY.

July 30, 1935. w. MORTEN ET AL FOMENTATION HEATER AND WRINGER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June l5, 1933 M. O N T EE NTTE E RHP V Dn N ORO MRT `-..DnnUN E EA www ALS WO ATTORNEY.

Passed .my so. 193s 2,0l989 FOMENTATION HEATER AND WRINGE Walter Morten, Olive D. Richter, and Susan Torpey. Alameda, Galli.

Application Jllle 13, 1933, Serial No.y 675,548

4Claims.

(Cl. 12S-268) Invention relates to improvements in fotank and extends across the length thereof near mentation heaters and Wringers.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide means for preparing hot fomentations without scalding the hands of the operator.

Another object is to provide a portable apparatus for this purpose. Another object Is to combine simplicity and strength in a portable apparatus, electrically heated, sanitary and adaptable for operation at the bedside'of the patient.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description p.

The therapeutic value of hot fomentations is well recognized in the healing art, but their preparation involves many tedious operations. Heretofore, it has been impracticable to prepare them at the bedside or place of application for the lack of proper apparatus. The present invention eliminates these and many other incidental objections. Broadly stated, the invention consists of combined means forboiling water in a container, submerging the fomentation pad therein,- then elevating and then squeezing the surplus water from the pad before removing it from the container.

In this specification and the accompanying drawings, the invention is disclosed in its preferred form. It is to be understood however that it is not limited to this form, because it may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit of the invention as dened in the claims following the description.

In the two sheets of drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a water heating container having a. squeezing mechanism combined therewith in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 i'.' a similar view showing the squeezing mechanism tilted for the delivery of the pad.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail in side elevation partly in verticall section of the rack and pinion gearing of the sgueezer.

Pig. 4 isa similar view of the spring nism of the depresser.

In detail, the construction illustrated in the drawings, referring particularly to Fig. 1, comprises a tank or vessel I, preferably composed 'of tinned copper or other suitable noncorrosive material. The tank rests` upon suitable legs such as 2 in the table sizes:y The larger sizes can be stop mechamounted upon longer legs with rollers to rest upon the floor.

'Ihe electric immersion heating element l extendsthroughand issealedinthe wall ofthe the bottom. It should be of suillcient capacity to heat the water in the tank to the boiling point quickly.

The tank has the substantial cover 4 with the internal ange 5. fitting snugly within the reinforced upper edge of the tank. The cover is hinged at 6 to the upper edge of the tank and has the latch I at the opposite side of the tank. This cover is preferably cast of a suitable noncorrosive alloy to simplify the assembly and give the necessary strength to withstand the squeezing action. 'I'his cover should t tightly enough to retain the vapor but not to cause a pressure tobuildupinthetankI.

The squeezer comprises the base I fixed to the top of the cover with the standard 9 having the alined guides Il and II thereon. The head of the vstandard has a transverse hole to receive the pinion I2, the teeth of which extend intol the guide Il. The hub of the pinion extendsoutward from the head to receive the lever Il ilx'ed therein and provided with the convenient handie I4.

The rod I is slidable in the guides I0 and II and has the rack teeth Il enmeshed with the teeth of the pinion I2, see Fig. 3. 'I'he rod extends downward into the tank I and has the squee plate I1 fixed thereon. 'I'his plate is reinforced with ribs to prevent bending when pressure is applied by the rod. This plate may be perforated to facilitate lthe drainage of water therethrough while functioning. g

The depresser plate I8 has the stem I9 guided in the cover at 20. It has the annular grooves I9' and I9" to engage a frictional latch 2| embedded in the socket 22, see Fig. 4. The cover is countersunk to pass the, hub 23 of the plate I8 so that it can seat flat against the inside of the cover. This plate also may be perforated to permit the escape of water from the compress pad 24.

This pad may be of any conventional material in accordance with common practice such as crash toweling folded back and forth upon itself to llt the size of the squeeze plate II. 'Ihe folded pad is laid upon a perforated screen tray 2l having the wire handle 2l aroundwhich the edges of the tray are curled to reinforce and stiii'en the tray.

The gage glass 2'I is provided to indicate the lwater level within the tank. The thermometer 28 may be submerged within this gage tube to indicate the temperature of the water.

Thisinvention operates substantially as follows: The tank I is filled with water up to about the level a: as indicated on the gage 21. The heater 3 is then energized and the body of water heated to the desired temperature as indicated by the thermometer 28.

The pad 24 is folded and laidupon the tray 25. The latch 'l is then released and the cover lifted upon the hinge 6 as in Fig. 2 and the tray placed upon the plate I1 and hand pressure applied to the stem I9 to lower the depresser plate I8 upon the pad until the latch 2l engages the groove I9 to prevent the pad iloating upward when the pad is submerged.

The cover 4 is then lowered to rest upon the top of the tank, as in Fig. 1. This submerges the pad and raises the water level to x' until the pad is properly heated. The handle I4 is then rotated contraclockwise which rotates the pinion I2 to lift the rack and rod I5 and the squeeze plate I1. spring latch 2| until the depresser I8 rests against the cover 4 and the pad is elevated above the water level. Further downward pressure upon the handle I4 will squeeze the excess water from the pad to the extent desired. The ange 5 prevents the escape from the tank of any water jetted outward by the squeezing operation.

When the handle I4 is raised and the cover swung upward, as in Fig. 2, the tray handle 26 is grasped and the tray 25 and pad 24 withdrawn from the tank and the cover lowered to retain the heat and incidental vapors within the tank while the hot compress is being applied in accordance with the technique indicated.

The spring latch 2| engages the groove I9 when the'compress is squeezed as in Fig. 2 to retain the plate I8 in raised position to permit easy withdrawal of the tray 25 and the compress thereon.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

This elevates the pad 24 overcoming the l. A fomentation pad heater and wringer including a tank adapted to contain liquid and having a cover hinged thereto and closing said tank; means for heating said liquid; a squeeze plate within said tank and having a rod extending through said cover; means for raising and lowering said rod; and a depresser interposed between said plate and cover and having a stem extending through said cover.

2. A fomentation pad heater and wringer including a tank adapted to contain liquid and having a cover hinged thereto and closing said tank; means for heating said liquid; a squeeze plate within said tank; external means for raising and lowering said plate with respect to said cover; a depresser interposed lbetween said plate and cover and having-a stem extending through said cover and a latch on said cover engaging said stem.

3. A fomentation pad heater and wringer including a tank adapted to contain liquid; a cover hinged to said tank; means for heating said liquid; a squeeze plate within said tank to squeeze out the fomentation pad against said cover and having a. rod extending through the cover; and means on said cover for raising and lowering said rod.

4. A fomentation pad heater and wringer including a tank adapted to contain liquid and having a cover; means for heating said liquid; a squeeze plate adapted to cooperate with said cover within said tank and having a rod at one end thereof extending upward through the cover; a removable tray on said squeeze plate adapted to receive the fomentation pad to be treated; a depresser adapted to engage the top of said pad; and means for moving said rod to raise or lower said squeeze plate with respect to said cover.

WALTER MORTEN. OLIVE D. RICHTER. SUSAN 'IURPEY 

